My Adventure with Jack Frost and the Snow Queen
by L42W
Summary: My name is Bobby Lee; I'd love to tell you the story of how I encountered the Snow Queen Elsa and the adventure that led her to meet Jack Frost. Grab some hot chocolate and sit a spell.
1. Chapter 1

Well I'm just thrilled to death that you've decided to read my story. I've been telling folks the story of my encounters with the snow queen Elsa and Jack Frost himself for round about 20 years now, and I've started to think that the tale has grown stale, perhaps not worth telling again. But there you are, choosing to listen to my account of what happened. So maybe I could relate the details one time more.

Now to really give you the best idea of where things started, I have to tell you a little bit about yours truly. I've been a student of mythology and magic since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Whether it was trying to figure out the mechanics of the chubby elf squeezing down the chimney, or scientifically trying to prove or disprove a rabbit's foot, the unusual and magical has always held an appeal to me. I would read anything I could get my hands on that could lead me toward the next fantastic thing.

At University, I worked toward a degree in historical superstition and mythology, hoping to pursue a field that would answer some of the questions floating around in my brain. One thing that I couldn't do was stay put. I would don my ratty old messenger bag and hiking boots and would venture out to locations that were rumored to have some kind of supernatural inhabitants or unusual properties.

Back in those days, there were three of us that had like-minded passion for the strange and magical. We would stick together, exploring local points of interest and comparing experiences. Sam Callaway was a skinny whip of a kid from Portland, Maine. He had thick black rimmed glasses and a tendency to talk to himself whether folks were listening to him or not. Sam was the most scientific of the three of us, always testing things and experimenting. Next in our crew was David Meyer, a transplant from the Pacific Northwest. He maintained a scruffy appearance at all times, bringing organic rations with him on our adventures that you couldn't pay Sam or I to consume if our lives depended on it. I was the wanderer of the group, the son of a Southern gentleman and a homespun woman from Iowa. My folks named me after general Robert E Lee, and so the nickname "Bobby Lee" stuck with me.

It was David who first heard the legend about the Snow Queen in Arendelle. He had been visiting home and encountered a Norwegian fisherman in a local pub. The fisherman told a story of a beautiful queen in his homeland, who had power over the ice and snow. The locals were somewhat fearful of their mysterious monarch, since it was said that she had once frozen the heart of her own sister.

Well as you might imagine, as a young man interested in unusual things (and a beautiful woman didn't hurt!), when David related this tale back to Sam and I, I was ready to jump on the next ship out. There was just one problem; as with any seasoned University students, were were all flat broke. Being the entrepreneurial type, however, I secured a meeting with the head of the department, and begged for a grant to visit Norway and verify or disprove this story. At the first meeting, I received a resounding NO. I retreated to the library and gathered every book and document I could find that referenced Arendelle or the snow queen. There weren't very many references available, but there was enough to cast doubt about whether the happenings in town were truth or fiction.

At the second meeting, I was given permission to use funds to further study this case, but not to travel to Norway. Sending three students abroad was too expensive, the department head complained. And so at the third meeting, I compromised by stating that I would be the only one traveling, and that I would find places to stay along the route to save funds for the University. At long last I received approval, and the funds for the trip. Sam and David were fairly miffed, to say the least. David wouldn't talk to me for hours once I told them, and Sam mumbled softly about traitors and missed opportunity.

So it was that on a cold morning in January, I stepped onto Norwegian soil for the first time, ready for anything.


	2. Chapter 2

Elsa stared at her fingers as they twisted in front of her. She sat at the table, transfixed and concentrating.

"Clear your mind," she said to herself softly, "control the magic." Thin strands of ice were taking shape between her fingers; as the crystals formed, the faint outline of an "E" could be recognized in the center of the shape. Once the snowflake was formed, Elsa grinned.

"Finally!" she grinned. She had spent hours trying to control her power enough to bend the ice to her will, even on this small scale. The trolls had warned her that she needed to practice so that she would be able to keep her powers in check when she was overwhelmed emotionally.

This small victory boosted her mood considerably. She had been feeling particularly isolated lately, and alone. She enjoyed spending time with Anna and Kristoff, and watching their relationship develop, and of course there was always Olaf with his innocent manner to make her smile. But when it came down to it, she was the only one with the responsibility for the kingdom and happiness of its inhabitants, and that pressure weighed her down. While there were many who were sympathetic toward the young queen, there wasn't any "free pass" while she struggled to gain control of her abilities. They trusted her to protect them and their families, and she had to deliver.

Gaining a small amount of control over the formation of the ice that was borne from her fingertips reminded her that she was strong enough to do this. As if on cue, the sun outside the window peeked out from behind a cloud, and a ray of sunlight streamed into the room. Elsa closed her eyes and soaked up the light, allowing herself to relax for a moment.

The door swung open, and heavy steps pounded into the room. Anna, Elsa's younger sister, bounded into the room, crashing herself into a large armchair in the corner, and sprawling over it, the picture of instant exhaustion.

"He's so GROSS, Elsa!" Anna's arms flailed above her head. "I was telling him this whole story about how I thought we should visit some of the townsfolk to see how they're doing and stuff and then I asked him what he thought and you know what he said? He BURPED. Ugh. I mean I don't understand why men think it's so cute when they do that!"

Elsa smiled softly. Clearing the mind was not something that was possible when Anna was around. Anna bounced back up, immediately changing tacks.

"What are you DOING in here, anyway? It's sunny out Elsa. Let's go do fun things. The weather has been so weird lately, we should take advantage of the sun. OH, we could take a walk out to see the street market in town. I heard they have really beautiful scarves that you can buy." Anna grabbed Elsa's hands and dragged her from her chair, trying to motivate her.

"Anna, you know that I have to be in court to talk to our visitors and help them," Elsa smiled despite herself at her energetic sibling.

"Not for three HOURS," Anna argued. "We can be there and buy stuff and get back in plenty of time!"

Elsa knew a losing battle when she saw one. Shaking her head at her sister, she grabbed a cloak from the wardrobe and followed hurricane Anna out the door of the library and into the hall.

Anyone observing the sisters as they traveled away from the castle would admit that they were a striking pair. Anna wore her favorite fuschia colored traveling cloak, contrasted with an embroidered black and green dress. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement. Elsa wore a dark blue dress with embroidery as well as an ice blue traveling cloak. It was difficult to tell whether it was lined with beading that sparkled in the sun, or whether it was actually lined with ice crystals; and considering the owner, it could have been either.

The street market was well-attended; townsfolk nodded and smiled at the sisters as they looked at the booths offering items for sale. Occasionally someone would look at Elsa with a mixture of awe and fear; Anna would always grab her sister's hand in these instances and squeeze, she knew that it bothered Elsa.

One vendor was selling beautiful flower crowns. Elsa spotted a little girl looking mournfully at them as her mother negotiated strenuously with a man selling fish. Elsa bought one of the little flower crowns and gave it to the girl, who brightened up and grinned at the queen.

In another part of the market, an old woman sat behind a table, selling beautiful bouquets of flowers. Despite the warming sun, they miraculously kept a touch of frost on the petals.

"How do you keep the frost on them?" Anna asked the old woman.

"I have some help from Jack Frost," the woman replied, but wouldn't say more than that about the matter.

By the time that the sisters had made it to the end of the market, they had acquired an assortment of handmade items, teas, pastries and flowers. They gathered up their findings and began the hike back to the castle. Behind them, some of the townsfolk whispered to each other about the queen and princess and their visit.

Upon their return, Elsa had a short while before she was expected in court. Anna ran off to find Kristoff and she changed into a more businesslike attire. After the events of a year ago when fear and worry ran high, Elsa had begun the daily sessions to ensure that the townsfolk had a way to communicate with her about their grievances, worries or fears. She believed that everyone should have a way to say what they thought, and found that some of the ideas that her people brought to her were very good ones.

Initially the sessions in court had her sitting in her mother's throne and looking down on the visitors as they talked to her. This seemed too intimidating to Elsa however, who asked instead that they bring in comfortable chairs arranged in a ring, so that a better conversation could occur. A large fireplace was situated toward the middle of the large hall, and the chairs encircled it. Out of respect and authority, Elsa's chair was the most ornate, however the arrangement was much less threatening than the setup of old.

Today Elsa knew that a group of farmers had traveled quite a ways to meet with her today, and so she had asked that coffee and tea be brought in and she added some of the pastries that she and Anna had bought in the market. Her mind wandered back to the little girl with her new flower crown, and then to the old woman with the icy flower bouquets.

"Jack Frost," she thought. Surely this explanation was intended to cover up the fact that the old woman had a small amount of power like her own? Everyone knew that Jack Frost was a myth, a way to explain natural occurrences to children.

Bringing her thoughts back to the meeting at hand, she spotted Anna heading toward the door, and called out to her.

"Anna, would you like to join me for the meeting with the farming folk?" Anna agreed excitedly and joined her sister. A few moments later, two men and a woman entered the room. They were dressed in their Sunday best, but it was evident that they came from the farming communities far from the city.

"Welcome!" Elsa called, smiling to them. "Please have a seat where you'd like, and help yourself to warm beverages and pastries. When you've settled in, we can chat." Anna took a seat next to her sister, grinning and grabbing one of the pastries herself.

"Mmm, chocolate," she mumbled, through a full mouth. Elsa and a few of the farm folk chuckled at her.

"Did you have a long journey?" Elsa asked, trying to make her guests more comfortable. The woman looked uncomfortable and glanced at her companions.

"Well, miss," she said, "I mean, your majesty, we wanted to come to tell you about the struggles that we've had of late." The woman was very nervous, and couldn't quite look her sovereign in the eye.

"Please," Elsa said, "tell me about your struggles so that I can help."

The woman launched into a tale about the last year, since the time when Elsa had first frozen Arandelle. The farming lands were usually prosperous in summer and barren in winter; the plentiful harvests of fall sustaining them through the lighter times. But since last year, the seasons had become confused, making it impossible for the farmers to determine whether the next day would be wintery or summery.

"It has become so strange," the woman continued, "that in one day, we might awaken to the warm sun of summer, but by afternoon have snow flurries."

Elsa frowned. She had regained control of the snow and the thaw here, and had not seen any dramatic changes in the weather around Arandelle or the surrounding areas. But she knew that the farming lands were on the other side of the mountain, and could experience their own unique climate. Perhaps her control over the weather had not extended to the more distant lands. Her stomach knotted with the thought that she had been neglecting a part of her kingdom.

"I had no idea," she said. "How can I help?" One of the men spoke up.

"If you could just travel there with us, and fix the seasons for us, we would be much obliged." Elsa nodded, standing.

"Let us waste no time. We'll travel there first thing in the morning and restore order."


	3. Chapter 3

This ship that had brought me to Norway landed in a coastal village on the southwest shore. Finding transportation to Arendelle was somewhat difficult, I discovered. When I first arrived, I spotted ramshackle fishing cottages along the water, leading toward a main street lined by brick structures. This was a seafaring community and they weren't used to strangers. Looking up and down the road, I spotted a little old man struggling to load crates into a wagon. Running over to him, I hoisted the crates and secured them in the wagon for him.

"Much obliged," the old man said. "Who are you and where are you headed, boy?" At that time in my life, I wasn't thrilled to be referred to as a "boy," and so I wasn't as enthusiastic about my new friend as I might otherwise have been.

"Bobby Lee," I said, "Traveling to see my cousin in Arendelle." It was a little white lie; I found that telling people straight out that I was going to look for magic and mystery didn't always get the best reaction.

"Well Bobby Lee, you're in luck," the man said. "I'm headed to Arendelle myself, if you'd like to join me?" I thanked the man profusely and agreed to join him. Grabbing the side of the wagon, I hauled myself up next to him on the wagon bench, and watched his gnarled fingers grab the reins forcefully and spur the horses into motion. I found out that his name was Clarke Thornhill, and he was a wood carver and merchant. He spoke with a thick accent, reminiscent of Russia.

"Could you tell me a little bit about Arendelle?" I asked, as we rumbled out of the port town.

"Well, we're just a quiet city, with outlying farms and villages, nothing very remarkable," he began, giving me a sidelong glance. He must have seen the disappointment on my face, because he added, "Of course you really want to know about the snow queen, eh?" I grinned, starting to get excited. My voyage wasn't for naught! This man knew about the snow queen!

"I've heard the stories," I said, trying to keep my tone non-committal- and failing. "But I had to voyage here to find out for myself if it were true."

Clarke was looking toward the horizon now, gathering his thoughts. He spoke carefully, as if unsure of how much to say.

"She's real enough, you can depend on that," he assured me, "but I wonder whether you will be so excited to see her once you've heard about what she can do. There are few who are willing to get close to queen Elsa in fear that she might lose control and freeze them forever." I shivered despite myself, trying to take these words with a grain of salt. Everyone was afraid of things that they didn't understand.

"I've even heard tell," Clarke continued, "that her powers have kept the farming villages across the mountains in a constant state of disruption." I blinked at him, imagining what kind of disruption could be caused by such a person. Still, my academic curiosity overwhelmed my fear of the unknown, and I mentally spurred the horses faster toward our goal.

When we were within view of Arendelle castle, I noticed a small town and asked Clarke to leave me there. Shrugging, he dropped me off, and gave a nod as he drove on toward Arendelle proper. I shouted a "Thank you," back at him, then turned toward my destination.

A thick blanket of snow covered the landscape as I approached the outskirts of the main village. An old wooden sign marked the border of the older community; at one time it was likely that this had been the main part of town. As time progressed, however, the cottages fell into disrepair and looked shabby as the castle of Arendelle towered in the background, a mile or so away. I brushed the snow from the sign and could just make out the words "January Junction" carved into the antiquated wood. A few of the houses had thin ribbons of smoke curling from the chimneys, evidence that a few residents still clung to their homes in the original town. Turning my back on the remains of January Junction, I stepped toward the crystalline ice bridge that stretched across the fiord toward the city of Arendelle.

The story of the famous ice bridge had traveled quite far; I had heard the story first from a professor, and had wanted to examine it myself. It was said that good fortune would accompany all who walked across the bridge with a pure heart. I wasn't sure if my heart was pure enough, but I wanted to give it a try.


End file.
